A Question Of Honor

A/N: As promised, I am putting up all of the chapters that were on spark. Please review and enjoy.
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As the days passed, Kagome simply got worse. She had started to fear closing her eyes and there was not a thing he could do for her except sit beside her and murmur his assurances that nothing could harm her ever again.

Rin had started to question him about why Kagome was so upset. How does one explain to a small little girl that her body can be used against her in an attempt on a male’s part to harm her? How was he to explain the viciousness that had robbed Kagome of her light? How could he tell her that he was guilty for aiding Kagome’s attacker?

Shaking his head, Sesshomaru had sent Rin off, her questions, along with his, unanswered. The child had grown bored as she waited for Jaken to return with their guests, and she had started to run after his general in an attempt to amuse herself.

Sayuki had been allowed a day of rest. She had grown weary of staying up all through the night, and had been thankful for a break. Now, as he and Kagome sat in his study, he watched as the young miko stared out the large window, her face sad. It was clear to him that out of all of them, she was the one who continued to suffer. What he and the others were going through was nothing compared to what she was going through.

“Miko. I have been told that you like to read. Perhaps a good book will help you pass the time away until we are ready to have dinner?” Sesshomaru said, his voice soft and even.

Kagome did not respond. She acted as though she did not hear him. She was always staring off into the distance, perhaps wondering what she had done wrong to deserve the fate that she had been handed. Sighing, he stood up and walked around his desk. He walked the short distance to where she sat and reached out, her chin cradled gently between his thumb and forefinger.

“Miko. Would you like a book to read?” He asked, his golden eyes trained upon the miko’s dark ones.

Kagome simply stared up at him. She had heard his question, but she simply could not answer him. It hurt too much to even look at him. Pulling her chin out of his grasp, Kagome whispered, “I want to go home. I want my mother.”

Sesshomaru looked towards the heavens as if somehow they would help him with his reply. However, a devil cannot seek the wisdom of angels when he has been nothing but evil.

“I have already explained that I cannot allow you to leave. You are now my responsibility and I won’t give that over to anyone, not even your mother. Now, since you don’t seem interested in reading, perhaps a nap will help you. I will have one of the maids escort you to your chambers and sit with you.” He said. He watched for a reaction, but knew deep down that he would not receive one.

He walked to the door and opened it. He called out to a maid who happened to be walking by and quickly instructed her as to what she was to do. Nodding, the maid stepped into the study and walked over to Kagome.

Gently grasping her lady’s arm, the maid helped Kagome to her feet and led her from the room. Never once did Kagome’s eyes fall upon Sesshomaru and he felt his stomach twist as the guilt resurfaced. He watched as Kagome was led up the stairs before returning to his desk.

This was the day that the healer was supposed to arrive. He had sent Jaken to meet her and her companions. His instructions were very clear. Jaken was not allowed to discuss Kagome with the healer. All he could do was say that the miko had gotten worse and that his lord would speak with her about the issue.

Satisfied that his retainer understood his duty, he sent the toad off. By nightfall, the Scottish healer would be in front of him and he could finally get Kagome the help she so desperately needed.
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Karin lifted an eyebrow as the small toad squawked commands at the humans before them. Finally, she got tired of all the yelling and said, “Please, lad. Can ye not speak with a more gentle tongue? Ye are giving me a headache.”

Jaken quickly turned and glared at her. However, before he could tell the bitch to mind her own affairs, six of the largest inu youkai that he had ever seen stepped around her and glared down at him.

“Mind yer manners, toad. Ye will no’ be speaking to me mother in any way that is not respectful.” A dark haired inu snapped, his tail swishing around wildly.

Jaken’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. The inus had spoken with a foreign accent, and that meant that they were the ones he was waiting on. Oh, thank his lucky stars that his lord was not here. He had nearly called the healer that his lord needed a bitch. Instead, he bowed deeply and said, “Greetings. I am Jaken, retainer to Lord Sesshomaru. I have been sent to see to your needs and have arranged transportation to my lord’s palace.”

Karin wanted to roll her eyes at the display. “Tell me about the lass.” She ordered. She really did not have the time to dally with the toad, and she needed to begin thinking of her plan of action. However, the toad shook his head.

“All I am allowed to say, my lady, is that Lady Kagome has gotten worse and that Lord Sesshomaru will speak with you as soon as you arrive. Now, if I may see to your belongings and then we will be off.” Jaken said, his beady eyes traveling over each of the inu males.

Karin sighed and nodded. With a wave of her hand, the toad ran around them and began directing the humans to take his lord’s guest’s possessions to a large carriage. Soon, they were all seated inside the carriage and Karin nodded approvingly. The lord had good taste, indeed. With the deep red color and velvet carpeting, she found that she could relax.

Her son, however, decided that he simply could not keep quiet. “So, why does this laird think that ye can help this lass?” He asked, curious.

“I donna know, lad. I will find out when we get there.” Karin said, her eyes closed. She heard her son sigh and she fought back a smile. Her beloved Connor was the spitting image of his father. He was quite the sight with his long black hair, green eyes, and dark blue stripes adorning his cheeks. It pained her to think that her son only thought of fighting and bedding the next wench that struck his fancy and then discarding her as if she were a piece of trash. She wanted him to settle down and begin having pups so that she could spend her days holding them. Connor, however, thought that life revolved around his lads and his sword.

Connor grinned at his companions. His closest friend in the group was Griffin. Griffin was his second cousin and closest confidant. He had long blond hair that nearly reached down to his feet and deep blue eyes that drove women, demon and human, wild. Out of all of them, it was Griffin that he trusted with his life.

Connor’s eyes turned to Ewan and he grinned. Ewan was the trickster of the group. Always with a smile, the redheaded inu was the smallest of the group, but he was also the quickest. He never failed to bring a laugh to the group, and was often heard telling the latest joke that he had heard.

Dageun was the complete opposite of him. Dageun would rather be tupping than fighting. His way with words often had wenches gasping for breath as he whispered in their ears. It was a rare sight to see the green haired inu without a female on his arm, but it was also rare for him to keep the same female for longer than a night.

Even though he did not really care for his company, Conner had to admit that Balthazar was one hell of a fighter. The inu was not one to speak that much, but rather enjoyed expressing himself with his sword. His temper was very short and he often flew into rages that left several people either injured or dead in its wake. Unfortunately, Balthazar was a prime reason why many thought that the inhabitants of Scotland were barbarians.

Payton was the final lad in their group. With his feminine ways, he was often mistaken for a large female, but if provoked, Payton was one to be feared. He did not dally with anyone, male or female. He had once said that he did not care to give a piece of himself to someone who might not be there in the morning. So, he proclaimed a vow of celibacy, and had kept to it. Connor had to admire the lad’s determination. With the long blue hair and silver eyes, Payton was very sensual-looking. It was a shame to both sexes that the inu had sworn off relationships. He would have created handsome pups.

Griffin smirked and glanced at the others lads. He could see that each of them were deep in their thoughts and he found himself turning back to the conversation that he had held with Lady Karin shortly after they had set sail.

The lady had seemed distressed and when he had inquired about what had troubled her, she had confided in him that the lass that she was supposed to help was a human. A human who had been raped by a half-demon, or hanyou as the Japanese called them. Lady Karin had been troubled by parts of the letter that she had shown to him and he told her that no matter what she decided, they would back her up, no matter what.

He knew that Balthazar would have a fit once he learned that the lass that Karin was going to see were human. He had learned to hate humans at his father’s knee, and never failed to provoke a human into a fight, just so he could spill the human’s blood. However, hate them as he might, Balthazar also detested anyone who harmed a woman. It would be interesting to see his reaction.

As the Scottish inus delved into their thoughts, Karin gasped and smiled. “Look, lads. I donna think that our ride will last much longer.” She exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.

Conner grinned. He knew that the keep impressed his mother. Even their own keep was nothing compared to this keep. As they approached the gate, the inus heard the toad squawking orders.

Balthazar growled. “I wonder if Laird Sesshomaru would mind if the wee toad and I had a bit of a private chat.” He mused.

The inus laughed. For Balthazar, a private chat included a lot of blood. However, the laughter quickly died down when the carriage came to a complete stop. Suddenly, the door opened and Jaken bowed low.

“Lady Karin, welcome to the western palace. Lord Sesshomaru will see you and your company in his study. Please, follow me.” Jaken squeaked as he watched one of the guards help the healer down.

Karin thanked the guard and favored him with a smile. She turned to look at the toad and motioned for him to lead the way. With her son and his lads following, Karin walked behind the toad and marveled at the many tapestries that adorned the keep’s walls. When the toad finally stopped, it was before a set of doors.

Knocking softly, Jaken waited for his lord to reply and then opened the door. “My lord awaits you, my lady.” He said, bowing low to the floor.

Karin shook her head and squared her shoulders. She led the males into the room, but failed to see Balthazar smack the toad with his long black tail. Once they were inside, Karin found that she was looking at one of the most handsome males she had ever laid eyes on.

Sesshomaru stood up and walked around his desk. He moved to stand in front of Karin and gave her a small bow.

“Greetings. I am Lord Sesshomaru, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands.” He said, his tone rich and velvety.

Karin smiled and replied. “Greetings to ye as well, Laird Sesshomaru.” She gave the lord a respectful bow, and motioned for the lads to do the same.

Nodding his approval, Sesshomaru offered Karin his arm and led her to a chair that was directly in front of his desk. After everyone was seated, Karin got right to the point.

“I understand that ye are the caretaker of a lass who was assaulted by a demon. Where is the lass, and might I have a look at her?” She asked.

Sesshomaru sighed. “Before I bring Kagome in here, there are some things that you need to know. I am afraid that I played a part in her attack and even though her physical wounds have healed, I feel that she is slipping deeper into her own misery. She is a danger to herself and has on a number of occasions tried to take her own life. She cannot be left alone, and she has recently started to refuse to eat. I have taken it upon myself to force her to eat, but as the days go by, she falls a bit more.” He explained, his golden eyes trained on Karin’s face.

The healer was thoughtful for a moment, but then said, “Tell me everything that happened to her. Before and after the attack. If I am to help the lass, I need to know everything, so don’t be leaving anything out.”

Sighing, Sesshomaru nodded and explained what had happened. It had taken nearly two hours, but when he finally finished the tale, he sat back and waited for the healer’s reaction.

Karin had listened very carefully to what Laird Sesshomaru told them. She detected a bit of guilt in his voice but she could not help but feel angry with the laird. But, just as she was about to voice her opinion, Connor decided to do it for her.

“So, what ye are tellin’ us is that ye and yer companions attacked and bound a helpless human woman and then abandoned her to whatever fate would come along. Tell me, Laird Sesshomaru, why should me mother help ye when it is ye and yer companions that committed this crime? The half-breed did the act, but ye made sure that he had the chance. What kind of youkai are ye? Where in the hell was yer honor?” Conner growled, his claws flexing.

Before he could reply, a soft knock was heard. Sesshomaru called for the person to enter, and he was surprised to see Sayuki stick her head into the room.

“My lord, I was notified that your guests had arrived and I took it upon myself to bring Lady Kagome down to meet them. Would you like for me to send her in now, or should we wait a while longer?” She asked, a soft smile crossing her lips.

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to reply, but Karin beat him to it. “I wish to see the lass. Send her in.” She ordered, not caring at the moment if she sounded rude.

Sayuki nodded and opened the door. She was heard whispering, and then Karin got a good look at the young lass that she was supposed to help.

As Sayuki pushed Kagome into the room, she could feel that everyone’s eyes were upon them. She walked Kagome over to the female inu and said, “My lady, may I present Lady Kagome.”

Karin smiled at the young human and then said to Sayuki, “Thank ye. Yer services will no longer be needed.”

Sayuki glanced at Sesshomaru, who simply nodded. Bowing slightly, Sayuki left the study and went to find her mate.

Karin stood up and slowly circled Kagome. When she came to a stop before the miko, Karin exclaimed, “I do believe that ye are the prettiest wee lass that I have ever seen.” She reached out and attempted to touch Kagome’s cheek, but the little miko flinched and slightly turned her head, her eyes cast downwards.

Karin knew all too well the signs of despair. She glared over at Sesshomaru and then said, “I will be taking over for the lass’s maid. She will be receiving me help and that means that there will be rules that ye will need to be followin’.”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and watched as Karin motioned for one of the inus to step forward. “I want ye and yer lads to take Kagome back to her chambers. She is not to be alone at this time. I will be up shortly.” She said.

The inu nodded and walked over to where Kagome stood. “My lady, if ye would be so kind as to show us to yer chambers?” He asked, motioning for her to lead the way.

Kagome simply stood her ground, her mind was in total confusion. She did not know these new youkai and all she could do was look over at Sesshomaru. Even though he had participated in her attack, he was the only constant that was in her life at the moment.

Seeing that she was confused as to what to do, Conner gave a soft laugh and gently took her arm. That was when all hell broke loose.
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Inu Yasha groaned and grabbed his crotch before falling to his knees. He had to admit that the bitch before him had a great throwing arm. They had traveled to yet another village that had heard about what had happened with Kagome and they had received the welcome that they were beginning to expect.

Village after village greeted them with hostility and violence. The group knew that they could not harm the people, but it was getting to the point that they simply avoided the villages except if they needed supplies.

As he struggled to get up, he allowed his eyes to glare up at his attacker. “Damn it, all I wanted to do was ask directions.” He growled, his cock twitching painfully in his hand.

The young woman glared down at him. “I don’t care. You and your companions are not welcomed here, vermin! You destroyed the shikon’s light! You are responsible for Naraku’s victory! How dare you! Animals!” She screamed, her arm reared back to throw another rock.

As the group watched a group of villagers came to the woman’s side and they, too, had rocks. Slowly, they backed up and Inu Yasha whispered, “Let’s just go around the village. It would be easier.”

Nodding, the group turned. The woman snorted and shouted over at Sango. “You piece of trash. You are a woman and you allowed another woman to be raped. Have you no shame, whore?”

Sango felt her entire body grow numb. She could feel the sting of her tears and she simply hung her head. Miroku grasped her hand and led her into the forest, but the screams of the villagers followed the group.

When they finally settled down for the night, Sango broke down in tears. “I can’t stand this. I am sorry for what happened, but this is not right.” She sobbed, her body shaking.

Kouga growled. “We deserve everything that we get. In the tribes, if a male rapes a woman, he is torn apart by the other males, normally the brother, father, or uncle of the female. If there was someone that helped, they would be exiled into the wilderness alone.” He explained, his tone cold.

“I wonder how Lord Sesshomaru is fairing with Lady Kagome. I am sure that he has his hands full.” Miroku said, his violet eyes cast downward.

Inu Yasha said nothing. Instead, he jumped into a tree and stared up at the sky. Like Miroku, he wondered how his brother was dealing with Kagome and if he was treating her right.

As the group ate the fish that Ginta and Hakkaku had caught, their minds were all on the little miko that they had betrayed, and they could not help but wonder if one day, she would allow herself to forgive them for their sins against her.
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Sesshomaru growled at the male who was now holding Kagome. When the male had touched Kagome’s arm, she panicked and began to claw at the male, her scent laced heavily with fear. Her eyes had gone wild and she began to sob as the young male grabbed her wrists and held them together.

Another male quickly stepped up behind the disturbed miko and allowed the points of his claws to enter her neck and he injected her with his poison to calm her down. Within seconds, the miko lay in the first male’s arms and his tail wrapped around her waist.

Karin had watched the entire display with careful eyes. This was worse than she had feared. If not dealt with properly, she knew that Laird Sesshomaru would wind up burying the girl at a young age. She turned to look at Sesshomaru.

“Well, I believe that it is time to be listing the rules. First, donna ever question me methods. Second, me son Connor and his lads will be watching over the lass and will be responsible for escorting her around the palace as well as other places. Third, ye will not do for her. She will be doin’ for herself. As for the other rules, well, ye will find them out when I figure them out. Now, if ye will excuse us, the lass needs to recover from Balthazar’s poison and ye should be thankful that we agreed to come. Now, if ye would be so kind to call that horrible wee toad, we need to be shown to the lass’s chambers.” Karin said, her eyes silently challenging Sesshomaru to argue with her.

Growling, Sesshomaru stared at the defiant female before him. However, when his eyes strayed to Kagome, who was nestled in Connor’s arms, he sighed. Fine. He vowed to help her and this female seemed to know what she was doing. However, he needed to make clear exactly who was in charge.

“Jaken will take you to Kagome’s chambers. However, your son and his companions will not deny me access to Kagome. I am the lord in this palace, and I will be the one who has the final say in what happens with Kagome. She is my ward, and my responsibility. The males may consider themselves her guardians, but if I see any behavior that is questionable, I will reconsider my decision.” Sesshomaru said, his golden eyes locked onto Karin’s dark ones.

Karin smirked. “My lord, if ye were really so concerned for the lass’s well-being, ye would not have allowed this to happen in the first place. However, we agree. Now, let us leave.” She sneered, her disgust apparent.

Sesshomaru called for Jaken, who quickly ran into the study. He was not watching where he was going and ran into the legs of Balthazar, who was now snarling down at the small toad.

Jaken yelped and quickly scurried to his lord’s side. Bowing low, he asked, “How may this lowly Jaken serve you, my lord?”

“Take our guests up to Lady Kagome’s chambers. After dinner, I expect that their personal chambers will be ready.” Sesshomaru said, his tone even.

Jaken nodded slowly. He bowed once more to his lord and then made his way towards the door, taking extra care not to walk by that one youkai again. Once the foreign inus were out of the study, Sesshomaru snarled in anger. Just who in the hell did that bitch think she was, telling him how to deal with Kagome? Well, he would bide his time and see if she could help the miko and if not, he would gladly ship her and the males back to where they came from.

One thing bothered him though. When Kagome came into the room, that one inu, Connor, had locked his eyes onto her form and had not bothered to hide it. Several times, he had glanced over and could see that the young inu was very curious about Kagome. Well, he could be curious all he wanted, but he had better keep his hands off of her. She was not his for the taking. She was his, the property of Lord Sesshomaru, lord of the western lands.

Satisfied that he was in control, Sesshomaru allowed himself to get lost in the ocean of scrolls that adorned his desk and allowed Kagome to slip from his mind, at least for the time being.
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After Jaken left hurriedly left the room, Karin looked around and walked over to the window. She turned and watched as Connor placed Kagome into her bed and covered her up.

After he was done caring for Kagome, Conner stood up to his full height and said, “Mother, what are ye going to do? The lass is suffering and I think that she would do better if she were to leave this keep.”

Karin nodded slowly. “Aye. She is suffering. However, Laird Sesshomaru will not allow her to leave. He cares that she is now his responsibility and he is trying to reclaim his honor by making sure that all her needs are cared for. He will not let her go, and we will have to accept that. At least for now. Now, we need to be discussing how we are going to help Kagome deal with the attack.” She said, her arms crossed over her chest.

Balthazar snorted. “I tell ye how we deal with it. We find the bastards who did this to her and we slaughter them. She was their comrade, and they betrayed her. Death is the only fitting solution.” He growled.

Ewan sighed. “Is that yer answer for everything, lad? Kill this, kill that. I am surprised that ye were not born with a sword in yer hand. Yer mother must have had a hard time with ye when ye were a bairn.” He said, his head shaking.

Balthazar growled and allowed his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword. “Would ye care to run that by me again?” He asked, his tone deadly calm.

Before Ewan could reply, a moan was heard and all eyes darted to Kagome. At first, she seemed to be alright, but then she began to shake and cry out, the scent of fear now blanketing the room.

Karin quickly stepped forward. She sat down next to Kagome and gathered the young woman up in her arms. “Shhh, Kagome. Calm down. Nothing here will be hurting ye.” She whispered, her claws running through the young woman’s hair.

Connor watched as his mother gently rocked the young miko. He could feel his entire body burning with rage as his senses continued to pick up the scent of fear. He watched as Kagome sobbed into Karin’s shoulder and he wished that he had been there that day. He would never have allowed such a crime to occur.

Balthazar and Dageun watched Conner and then looked at each other. It was clear to them that their friend was very interested in the miko and they were curious as to see if he acted on his interests.

Griffin sighed and looked out the large window. His disgust for this Laird Sesshomaru and his former companions was growing with each sob that came from the young woman that was now in their care.

Payton offered to stand the first watch. It had been decided that they would have two guards to stand watch over Kagome. One inside her chamber and one outside. This way, they could protect Kagome from intruders and herself.

Once Kagome had been calmed enough to return to sleep, Karin whispered to the males that she needed to lay down before she began to work with Kagome. She watched as Payton took a seat in a chair beside Kagome’s bed and smiled up at her.

“I will be watching the lass. Ye go and get some rest, my lady. The lass is in good hands.” Payton said, his beautiful eyes shining up at her.

Smiling at the young male, Karin nodded and motioned for the other males to follow her. Once outside the door, Ewan quickly took his place and folded his arms across his chest. He was ready to begin his shift.

Soon, Jaken arrived and showed Karin, Connor, Griffin, and Balthazar to their chambers. Once they were alone in his private chambers, Balthazar quietly closed his door and turned around slowly to face Jaken, who had his back turned to the inu and was chattering away.

When Jaken realized that Balthazar was staring at him, he gulped and timidly asked, “Is there anything I may help you with?”

“Aye, toad. There is. Tell me why ye ran away and left a helpless woman to a fate worse than death.” Balthazar demanded, his long tail swishing angrily.

Jaken gulped. He watched as the inu began to approach him and he saw his life flash before his eyes. He had known that this moment would come and he would accept his death with all of the dignity that he was known for.

“LORD SESSHOMARU! HELP ME!” Jaken screeched, his hands flailing around. Balthazar smirked and waited for the silver-haired youkai to arrive. He could not wait for this confrontation.